Brick man who claims he found dog in garbage bag charged with animal cruelty

The Cocker Spaniel that was brought to the Associated Humane Society office in Tinton Falls on Thursday. A Brick Township man who claims to have found the dog has been charge with animal cruelty.Facebook via Jersey Shore Hurricane News

Keith Morgan walked into the Associated Humane Society office in Tinton Falls Thursday afternoon with a near-dead dog in a garbage bag. He told officials there he found the Cocker Spaniel stuffed in the bag along Belmar Road in Wall, Victor “Buddy” Amato, chief humane law enforcement officer with the SPCA, told the Press.

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However, Amato said, there was something about Morgan's story that didn't add up.

"The story itself was unbelievable ... that he’s driving down the highway and sees big black bag moving and finds an animal near death,” Amato told the Press. “The whole thing was just bizarre and as far as we’re concerned it’s fabrication.”

After an investigation, Morgan, 56, and his wife, Shauna Ewing Morgan, 43, were arrested Friday and charged with multiple counts of animal cruelty. The charges could be upgraded if the dog dies. Amato said the dog was registered to the Morgans in 2007.